


Away From Home

by Rtarara



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, Implied/Referenced Assault, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, NOT PWP, but more about what comes after, space brothel AU, there IS a plot in there ;), tw: dub!con for the nature of being a brothel AU and the things that accompany that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2018-12-02 17:59:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11514537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rtarara/pseuds/Rtarara
Summary: Kara swallowed and her face flushed. She looked more closely at the woman she chose, green eyes standing out in the dim light. This was not a restaurant. She’d wandered into a brothel, one that she apparently had a great number of chips for.“Choose.” The girl mirrored the outside worker in poor interlac, gesturing at the card.Kara wet her lips. “I...this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I...can we talk for a moment? Is that alright?” She spoke slowly. The woman shrugged, unable to make out what she was saying. She came to sit next to Kara on the bed. The proximity of her caused Kara’s heart to beat faster. She’d never seen someone so beautiful and she could do...she was expected to do it even. It felt like a dream.“Choose.” She spoke again, softer this time. The words falling over lips that looked incredibly inviting and so close to her own.aka The Space Brothel AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I am really excited about this fic. It should be about 5 parts and I'm already part way through the next chapter. Thanks for Abcooper for making me write things and setting writing party times to work on this and for first reads and edits. That you as well to PoppyCartinelli and TheQueenOfTheLight for edits and giving it a read through for me.

Kara dodged the punch, ducking to her left. She was starting to get the hang of this. The thought took her out of the fight for a moment and she took a glancing blow to her side. She refused to back down. The sand on the desert planet reminded her of Krypton, even if the few crumbling buildings on this world were nothing like the spires of home. Thinking of Krypton always put her in the mood for a fight. 

 

“Is that all you’ve got? I thought K’hunds were supposed to be tough!” She called out in Interlac, the speech flowing almost as smoothly as her native Kryptonian. She snarled as she twisted around another attack. The K’Hund was growling and growing more reckless. She knew she almost had him and she felt a sense of melancholy as she pulled the trigger on her blaster and watched him drop. He was breathing if only just. She didn’t meet the eyes of the children who had appeared from out behind a small retaining wall, though she tossed a few ration bars at their feet before turning back to her prize.  

 

Another bounty completed. She put the K’Hund in restraints and beamed back up to her ship. The scout ship was a far cry from the ambassador class ships she traveled on with her father as a child, but it was a sort of home now. It sure beat the small pod that she took when she left Krypton seeing as it at least had a bed and a bathroom.  

 

She enjoyed the work she did. At first, there were the days where she’d have to dig deep and search harder to find even a scrap of evidence. Now, the connections came more easily. There were only so many paths that one could take. Sometimes, she’d even find a local who’d roll over and give her the information she needed for a few credits or a cut of the bounty. 

 

That was why she took a job so far off of central this time, almost on the border with the Vega system. There were a lot more credits to be had out here and a few more light years between herself and Krypton. Also, if she stayed too long in one place then she’d start to think and that was the opposite of what she wanted. She ran her fingers through blonde locks that fell at her chin. It was time to go collect. 

 

She set a course for Delnet base where the bounty specified that she needed to take her quarry. It was a short trip and she scanned the Stream for new bounties. She’d amassed some credits, but there were always more needed. Her ship wasn’t new and had a knack for breaking in obscure, but necessary systems. Food prices were going up everywhere and a part of her thought she might find a place she could call home...one day. She had a feeling that she should save up; her aunt had taught her to trust her gut as much as her mind before she’d been imprisoned for saving their world. 

 

As much as her mother tried to teach her logic, she knew that their planet would be dead if her parents had had their way. She hated the part of herself that wondered if that wouldn’t have been better for her. Ever since the day she almost got on a spaceship bound for Earth, everything felt wrong. She felt as though the life that she was supposed to be living was just out of reach. She still felt that way, but she wasn’t about to stop searching. It was her life and she’d make sure to claim it. 

 

Her navigation console beeped. She was already approaching the station. She would pick up another bounty once she had her credits. This part could always get a little difficult in her experience. Not everyone posted credits that they had to spare and a little last minute negotiation could be common, especially when they saw her and made assumptions.

 

Her boots pounded against the metal cargo bay as she materialized at the designated meeting place with her blaster out. 

 

“Where’s Galdrek?” The man called out at her. 

 

“On my ship.” She she aimed for a confident saunter as she made her way towards the pair of Gordanians. 

 

One of them flexed his upper set of arms, the dim light in the bay shining sickly off his green skin. “If he’s not here, then we don’t pay.” 

 

“If you don’t pay, then he stays on my ship and I deliver him back to Tamaraneans. It’s set to auto-jump if I don’t command it not to very soon. Doesn’t he have some information that you were hoping that they wouldn’t become privy to…?” She smirked knowing that she had them. Knowledge was power, another lesson she’d learned along the way. It was worth quite a few credits to know WHY her quarries were wanted, not just that they were. It saved her more than once and kept her from taking those who hadn’t done anything wrong. She looked for Justice or at least being able to live with her conscience. 

 

The Gordanians conferred with each other. It was clear that she caught them off guard. She didn’t speak good Gordanian, but she got the gist of what they were saying. They didn’t have quite what they needed to cover her fee and were trying to pull some resources.

 

A few minutes ticked by and she leaned against a few cargo boxes watching. They finally separated and brought a tab for her to peruse. “This is our offer.” 

 

There were over half the offered credits, a share of a mining operation and a large number of chips to what she was fairly sure translated into an all you can eat restaurant along the expanse. She cocked her head to the side, debating, “This isn’t exactly what we discussed.” The restaurant was set directly along the border to the Vegas system and was therefore not somewhere she usually wandered. 

 

“It’s a good offer.” The closer Gordanian defended. 

 

She shrugged her shoulders and he took the tab out of her hand, adding some valuable gemstones to the list. She grinned as he handed it back with his approval. “That’s more like it.” She signed the property transfer order and beamed down the K’Hund. 

 

‘It was nice doing business with you.” They shifted their attention to the tied up K’Hund and she beamed back to her ship with a strange sense of anticipation. Something changed but she wasn’t sure what. 

 

**********

 

She stayed out on the edge taking a few more valuable bounties. It was harder than closer to the central part of the system, but she was enjoying keeping busy. A lot more criminals tried to run this way. What she enjoyed less was a blaster shot from a Daxamite grazing her side. Recovery was taking longer than she’d like, even if it didn’t really hurt anymore. Her muscles on that side were weak and it threw her fighting style off. She trained and tried to gain muscle back. 

 

She’d largely forgotten the tokens she had to that all you can eat restaurant, but as she was tallying her bill for protein rations they became appealing. The Expanse wasn’t so far from her current location. It was a particularly rough section of space. It was under the rule of a coalition of sorts, but no lanterns of any sort could enter that region. It was off limits and served as a border zone between the orange and the green lanterns. 

 

She docked at a space station a few hours later. The station had seen better days and sections were roped off for repairs, though there were no repair crews to be seen. There were no cleaning crews either as the station was coated in a layer of grime. Kara walked along to where the station directory said the restaurant was located. Thankfully, it seemed a lot cleaner inside than the bulk of the station. The walls were obscured by layers of rich fabrics in reds and golds. She couldn’t see the buffet, but there were many women in thin white gauzy dresses draped over them that she realized on further inspection were actually see through. She looked away and her cheeks flushed a pale pink. That was not something you saw on Krypton. 

 

She kept her eyes on the floor as she made her way to the front desk. She noted the very worn sign with the old intergalactic pledge against using slave labor placed very prominently next to a picture of a large moth-like being. She passed the token that she got from the Gordanians along the top of the bar. “One please.”

 

“Select.” The alien across the bar was foreign to her and she had a hard time making out what he was saying. She felt a press at her mind like there might be some telepathy at play, but she was quite immune to that form of communication. 

 

“I’m sorry? I need to order first?” She tried. 

 

“SELECT!” He gestured to the women in dresses with a roll of his eight eyes. 

 

Maybe she had to pick a waitress first. Something about this place felt off. The perfumes in the air made her head hazy. She brought her gaze out to the women standing in the room. They were different species but all of them were beautiful. She saw a woman who looked like she could be a Kryptonian and pointed to her, unable to draw her eyes away. Dark brown hair fell in curls over her shoulders. The lines of her face looked like they were carved from stone and the pale skin enhanced the effect, except the rest of her body looked impossibly soft. Full breasts and her waist curved in and then out again for her hips. She’d never seen anything like her, or felt such a strong desire to reach out and to touch. She felt too warm. 

 

The woman looked over at her and she was met with green eyes. She couldn’t read them but she couldn’t look away. The woman walked towards her and gestured for her to follow. When Kara couldn’t quite make herself move on her own, the woman took her wrist and led her away. Her hand felt slightly cool, but almost like silk against Kara’s arm as she was led down a hallway. They passed under an arch and paused until a green light lit up. Kara recognized it for a health scanner, checking her for disease. They must take food borne illness seriously. 

 

They walked past a number of identical doors until they reached one that the woman turned and opened. Kara was led into a small room with a bed and not very much else. She hit a panel on the wall and a timer began to count down.

 

It wasn’t as richly appointed as the outside trappings. The room was almost austere with dark walls a large bed in the center of the room with a dark red sheet and three pillows across the top. The woman pulled her towards the bed and handed her a menu, but Kara was not surprised by this point to see that there wasn’t food on it. Instead were depictions of various sexual acts. 

 

Kara swallowed and her face flushed. She looked more closely at the woman she chose, green eyes standing out in the dim light. This was not a restaurant. She’d wandered into a brothel, one that she apparently had a great number of chips for. 

 

“Choose.” The girl mirrored the outside worker in poor interlac, gesturing at the card. 

 

Kara wet her lips. “I...this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I...can we talk for a moment? Is that alright?” She spoke slowly. The woman shrugged, unable to make out what she was saying. She came to sit next to Kara on the bed. The proximity of her caused Kara’s heart to beat faster. She’d never seen someone so beautiful and she could do...she was expected to do it even. It felt like a dream. 

 

“Choose.” She spoke again, softer this time. The words falling over lips that looked incredibly inviting and so close to her own. 

 

Kara’s hands trembled and the dark-haired woman looked at her expectantly. “I...it’s so quick. I...I’m Kara by the way. What’s your name, I mean, what should I call you?” She gestured at herself. “Kara.” 

 

“Estra.” There was a short moment of silence before Kara heard the woman whisper under her breath in a different language, “Not that it isn’t the worst fake name ever.” English. 

 

Kara felt a sense of relief, “Then why do you use it?” she asked, trying to sound as clear as possible in the language she’d learned when she was trying to get them to send her on one of the rescue missions for Kal-El. 

 

The woman started. “I...you’re human?” Emotions flickered over her face, too fast for Kara to get a clear reading on. 

 

“No. I apologize. I’m Kryptonian but English is one of the languages that I speak.” She studied the other woman who laughed in a dry sort of way. It fed into a louder laugh and the woman grabbed her sides.  

 

Kara cocked her head to the side in confusion. 

 

“It’s...I can’t explain, but you being a Kryptonian is hilarious in context.” She wiped her eyes. 

 

“You’re a human, then. I’ve always wanted to go to Earth. My cousin lives there. Travel there is banned now, but I’d always hoped…” She trailed off. The politics of her people weren’t for outsiders. 

 

“Maybe you’ll get there one day.” Her voice was strained before she moved closer to Kara, a hand trailing along Kara’s thigh. “But you’re here now and I assume you came for a reason.” 

 

“I...yes.” Her voice came out higher pitched than usual. “I am here for...reasons.” The feeling was back again. Possibility. She could have this. She WOULD have this. Lessons about sex and marriage and the roles of men and women falling away. She’d left for a reason. Why shouldn’t she enjoy herself with a beautiful woman? She was so close. Kara felt her heart beating heavily in her chest. “I want to be with you.” She said simply. 

 

The woman raised an eyebrow, “So we’ve established.” She tucked a piece of Kara’s hair behind her ear that had fallen into her face. “But there’s still the question of how. How do you want me?” Her voice was husky. 

 

Images passed through Kara’s mind of the woman on her back with Kara pressing against her. Skin on skin. She felt like she was on fire. “I’d...like you on your back. To be on top.” Kara wanted everything. As much as was possible. She didn’t know why the woman in front of her was here beyond wanting the money that Kara’s tokens would mean for her, but life was hard out here and she wasn’t going to judge. 

 

If she was going to judge someone, it would be herself. This was forbidden on Krypton and she’d turned down a lot of offers to pay someone to do this since she’d been out of the system, but this was the first time she’d said yes. The first time she’d really wanted to. 

 

“Alright.” The woman replied after a moment and Kara felt her heart start to beat fast. 

 

Kara wet her lips. “Can I...touch?” A hint of insecurity tinged her voice. She wanted this, but it was so new and uncertain. She reached out, stopping just shy until the woman nodded her assent. Kara ran her hand over the woman’s shoulder. “I...do you want me to call you something other than Estra? Baby? Or…I believe the people of Earth used food products to refer to their lovers?”

 

“Lena.” The woman said with a sigh. “ _ You _ can call me Lena.” 

 

“Lena.” She ran the word over in her mouth. “That’s a beautiful name. It suits you.” Kara was pretty sure she’d been given the woman’s real name and she smiled. That had to mean something. She brought up her other hand and brought it along Lena’s other arm, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin beneath the gossamer dress. 

 

Lena took one of her hands as it reached her own and brought it to a clasp behind her neck. Kara undid the clasp and the dress fell away from Lena, leaving her bare. Kara gasped. She was perfect. Lena’s skin was pale and creamy. Two ample breasts gave way to a flat plain and then short dark curls in a small triangle before her body parted at her center. 

 

“Like what you see then?” Lena teased and Kara realized she’d been staring and not doing anything else for quite a while. 

 

“You’re gorgeous, Lena.” She reached out and let her hands roam aimlessly over soft skin. She didn’t know what delight to take first, but her hand seemed to be heeding its own mind as it found its way to Lena’s breast. She kneaded the soft flesh, loving the way it felt in her hands. Lena’s eyes were closed and Kara took it as a good sign. She brought her lips to Lena’s neck, kissing along the skin and feeling it against her lips. It felt incredible. 

 

She dipped down Lena’s collarbone and across her chest, settling her mouth on the other breast and sucking it into her mouth. Lena let out a small gasp and Kara grinned. She liked causing the woman to react. She felt powerful; she wanted more. 

 

Kara pulled back, before pushing on Lena’s shoulder to lay her down on the bed. She moved alongside her and let her hand reach down and run through short curls. She stayed like that for a moment before pushing her hand lower, fingers sliding through soft folds. She pushed two fingers inside and reveled in the way that Lena cried out. It was warm and intimate. 

 

“Do you like that?” Kara found herself asking a smirk in her voice. 

 

“Of...course.” Lena’s voice broke as Kara began to pump in and out. “But...what about...you?” 

 

“I’m enjoying myself.” It was intoxicating. “I want you to...fall.” She wasn’t sure of the exact translation. “And then you’ll make me fall too.” Lena nodded and laid back. 

 

Lena made amazing sounds, little moans escaping until a short while after, she called out Kara’s name as she came off the bed and then fell against it, dark hair splayed over the pillowcase and a pint tink to her cheeks. It made Kara want to take her again, but her own need was causing her center to ache. She cleaned her fingers off in her mouth. She sighed as she rolled off the bed, loosened her belt and took it off, followed by her pants and boots. 

 

Lena looked up at her, “how do you want to…?” 

 

“Stay put.” The vision was too lovely to disturb just yet. Kara moved to straddle Lena’s thigh, lowering her sex to contact the firm flesh. She moved her body against Lena’s, watching her the entire time. Her just ravished face brought back images of pushing inside of her. Her planet had expected her to allow a man to do this to her. The thought was ludicrous to her as she ground into the woman beneath her, her own moans filling the room. She was right and this was exactly where she was meant to be: riding a beautiful woman. 

 

Kara laid her body down against Lena’s. The scent of Lena and sex filled her nostrils, causing a low growl to escape her throat. Lena’s woman’s arms went up around her shoulders. She couldn’t see her as well, but she could feel her everywhere as she kept her lower half moving. “You feel so good.” 

 

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she went over the edge sooner than she would have liked. The orgasm ripped from her body with a loud cry. Her breath was ragged as she rolled off of Lena and onto the bed. She looked over at the clock; there wasn’t very much time left. She felt deeply sated, though there was a part of her that felt strangely hollow. She chose to ignore that part. Partings were always difficult. 

 

“Did you have a nice time?” Lena asked, propping herself up on one arm. 

 

“I truly did.” Kara mirrored her position so she was looking at her paramour. 

 

“Does this mean that you’ll be back?” Lena raised an eyebrow. 

 

“It does. I’d like to see you again.” She admitted as she ducked her head for a moment. 

 

“I’d like that as well. I don’t get to hear much English out here.” There was a thickness to her voice, something that felt a little more solid than anything that she’d said so far. 

 

“Well I’ll make sure to come see you again soon.” A beeping noise sounded. “Though, unfortunately, I believe that is my cue to leave for now.” She sat up and slid off the bed, reaching for her clothes and beginning to dress swiftly. 

 

Lena nodded. “Indeed.” She got up, but didn’t put her dress back on. Once Kara’s was clothed, she leaned over and kissed Kara’s cheek. “Until next time.” 

 

“Until next time.” Kara pressed the place where Lena’s lips had touched her cheek as she walked back out and down the hallway. This sector of space just gained a new full time bounty hunter. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara begins to understand the realities of Lena's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Abcooper for looking it over. It's been ready for a while, but SDCC sort of put me off posting. I'll finish the story and have a large section of the next chapter written. I'm just a bit down. This is an intense chapter, so keep that in mind. Check the tags.

Kara watched Lena pull experimentally on the restraints and grinned. This was a new thing to explore. She looked down her body and saw the harness and fake cock resting between her legs. She lowered her hand and ran it along the shaft. She discovered fairly early on that she liked the device. It made her feel in control, though the restraint added yet another dimension to the experience. Lena’s hands and legs were bound to the corners of the bed with her legs splayed open and her sex on display...waiting to be taken. 

Kara crawled up from the bottom of the bed, bringing herself to rest between Lena’s legs. She leaned down and pressed a small kiss to Lena’s clit, causing her to jolt. Kara chuckled. “So sensitive.” 

Lena’s body had become quite familiar to her in the past two months. She came at least twice a week, often more, using the place as a reward for completing a bounty or if she needed to clear her head. More than once she couldn’t actually think of an excuse, admitting to herself that she didn’t deserve to be there, but she could be and that was enough.

She pushed her mouth close to Lena’s center, breathing hotly over the exposed flesh. She breathed in, the spicy scent of her lover adding to the experience. She looked like a Kryptonian, but the smell was different and the taste was better, at least judging from her own. She brought her tongue out to experience the taste again. Lena sucked in a breath and Kara started to move her mouth. 

Kara flattened her tongue and lapped softly at Lena’s clit, eliciting soft little hums. It was one of the things she liked about Lena. Lena knew how much her vocalizations aroused Kara and she didn’t hold them back. Kara sucked the sensitive nub into her mouth sucking down and pulling just slightly. A louder moan this time. 

Kara pulled away. Someday she’d be patient and finish the other woman off that way, but not today. She dropped kisses on soft curls and moved up to lick along Lena’s hip bone, her hands moving up to play with Lena’s chest. 

“Kara!” Lena cried out above her. 

Kara did her best to take her time as she kissed her way up Lena’s body, languishing attention on Lena’s neck. She stopped just shy of marking her. If she left a mark, then she was charged more. She didn’t always care, but it wasn’t as though she was flush with money either and this...this was enough today. 

She kissed along Lena’s jaw, bringing her lips to rest just below Lena’s ear. Bringing a hand down to help position herself just outside Lena’s opening, applying enough pressure that the other woman could feel it. “I’m going to fuck you now.” She whispered, not giving Lena enough time to reply before pushing inside of her. 

The motion sent electric jolts from her center all over her body. Lena bucked against her, but the weight of Kara’s body held her in place. Kara started to thrust slowly, before picking up speed. The sound of smacking and sucking filled the air as she pushed in and out. “Rao, you’re perfect.” 

Lena was perfect. The way she looked, sounded, and felt were beyond imagining, but more than that, she was engaging, responsive and had a very wide range of things Kara was allowed to do with her. They still weren’t through all of the positions on the menu, but Kara planned to rectify that. She thought that she would have grown tired of this, but she only ever wanted more. 

Kara thrust harder, feeling herself heading for the edge. She yelled as she finished, her orgasm overtaking her and bringing dark spots to her eyes. She slowed down and let herself lay down. Listening to Lena’s heartbeat slowing. 

It was comforting, the sound of steady thumping. It wasn’t just the sex parts that she enjoyed. This part was good too. She pulled out slowly before she reached up and undid the restraints on Lena’s arms, running her thumb over the skin that the cuffs covered. She rolled off and undid Lena’s ankles and slipped the harness off. She glanced at the clock, grinning that she had a bit more time as climbed back to the head. She laid down next to Lena and opened her arms. 

It was only the third week she’d been coming here when she learned this little trick. If she offered to hold Lena, then she’d say she was fine, but if she opened her arms and waited, then Lena would curl up. Lena always felt a little cold to her and Kara felt useful as she let her higher body temperature be put to use. 

“Tell me more about birds,” Kara spoke softly. 

Lena chuckled, “Again? I’m not an expert in ornithology.” 

Kara tightened her hold a little, “I know. I just...like hearing you talk about your home.”

Lena thought for a moment, “Have I told you about ostriches?”

“No.” Kara watched Lena’s face as best she could while the woman was tucked against her. 

“Well, Ostriches are one of the stranger birds on Earth. They’re actually the largest bird, but they can’t fly at all—even though they have wings. They’re taller than I am with long necks. They walk around on two legs and can run very fast,” Lena said, her hands twitching like she’d be talking with them if they weren’t wrapped around Kara. 

“How are they birds if they can’t fly? I thought all birds could fly?” Kara tried to imagine the creatures. 

Lena shook her head, “Not all birds can fly. Penguins can’t fly either.” 

“What’s a penguin?” 

“Another bird that lives in large groups at the south pole, but we weren’t quite done with ostriches yet. They’re best known for their defense mechanism, which is to bury their head in the sand when there’s danger. Technically they don’t bury their head. It’s more of a setting down ON the sand, but it’s a well-known trait.”

“Fascinating.” Kara smiled, “Are there any other birds that can’t fly?” 

Lena’s head turned as the clock began to beep, signaling the end of their time together. “I suppose that answer will have to wait until next time.” She took her hands away from Kara and pulled back. “Will I see you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah. I have a few leads to run down, but I should be by during the usual time.” Kara nodded, rolled off of the bed, and began to dress. The time always went so fast and the end always broke the illusion that this was something more than a transaction. 

“Good. You know you’re my favorite.” Lena gave a practiced grin. 

Kara was sure she said that to everyone, but it made her swell with pride and smile all the same. “Yeah. You’re my favorite too.” She finished getting her clothes on and leaned down, kissing Lena’s cheek. “Until then.” She walked out of the room reminding herself that this wasn’t real. None of this meant a thing. 

*****  
Kara walked up to the counter and put her chip on the counter. It was rote at this point. She came in, paid for her time slot, and then Lena came and took her back to the room. On rare occasions, Lena was finishing up with another client and Kara had to wait. She hated those occasions but the time passed fast enough and Lena was always freshly made up when she came to get Kara. 

Unfortunately, this seemed to be one of the times she would have to wait, so Kara sat in a chair with a splitting cushion and waited. She watched as men and some women came, selected girls and were taken back. And then she watched the same people come back out looking rumpled. She frowned. She’d been waiting for a long time. It was a lot longer than usual.

She went up to the counter, “Lena. The girl I come to see. When...when will she be finished?” She sighed. “LEE-NA. Estra? Where…?” She spoke slowly, hoping to get some of it across the language barrier. 

The man behind the counter seemed to understand, getting up and going back to the back room. Kara stood and waited a few minutes before he returned, “Tomorrow.” 

Kara frowned, “What do you mean, tomorrow? Is...is she alright?” 

“Tomorrow.” He pointed to the door. 

Kara turned to go, but something held her back. This was unusual. She’d been coming here for months now and never been turned away. She turned back. “I want to see her first. Just...to see her. You can keep my money for the full time. I just...I want to make sure she’s alright.” 

“TOMORROW.” He pronounced the word slowly. 

Kara frowned. This wasn’t right. She felt certain that Lena wasn’t with another client for something extended. It wasn’t that sort of place here. She walked out in a daze and headed back to her ship. She sat at the center console and rocked her heels back and forth. She couldn’t get Lena out of her mind. 

They weren’t anything to each other but a transaction. She tried to be mindful of that, respectful even. She didn’t beg for more time or try and get Lena to imply something different. It didn’t stop the sinking feeling in her gut. 

She stood up and started to pace the short distance around the cockpit of the ship. Maybe Lena was just with someone else. Or maybe she’d been kidnapped by space pirates and was being tortured! She took a deep breath. Space pirates were unlikely with all of the security precautions taken to get on the station and the scans to be allowed back to the room. 

That didn’t mean that Lena wasn’t sick or injured, though. Would the station even be equipped to handle it if something happened to her, medically? A fresh wave of worry washed over her. She felt helpless like she had as a child when she came out of the Great Pause and realized that Kal was long gone and that she wouldn’t be allowed to go after him. She took a deep breath. She wasn’t a child anymore and she WAS going to do what she thought was best. 

With a determined set to her movements, she went to the storage locker and grabbed her medical kit. It was one of the few things that she took when she left Krypton. They had better medical technology than most the rest of the galaxy and her regenerator had served her well over the past year. 

She pulled a data cube out as well. It had all the info that Kryptonians had on earth and humans. She set about loading her regenerator with the norms for human physiological standards. Every moment felt like it was taking too long. Finally, the retrofitting was complete and she grabbed the regenerator along with some extra chips, a few credit markers and a Daxamite gemstone that sparkled nicely. 

She was back at the desk about 2 hours after her last attempt. The alien at the desk stood up, showing his height and the fact that the top of her head didn’t quite reach his shoulder. “Tomorrow.” She felt a slight pressure inside of her head, so she knew he must have been screaming at her telepathically. 

She reacted calmly, passing 5 chips across the counter. “I want to see Lena.” 

The alien seemed to be wavering. She passed the bag of credits discreetly across the desk. The alien let out a long-suffering sigh and motioned for her to follow. The walk back to Lena’s room felt longer than usual. They ran into a bit of trouble at the scanners as a regeneration unit could be quite damaging in the wrong hands, but the crystal she brought smoothed that over and she was allowed to keep it. Somehow that felt like a bad sign as opposed to a good one. 

Finally, the man opened the door and gestured for Kara to walk in. “Lena? I…” Kara stopped mid sentence. Lena was lying still in the bed with facing the door, not moving beneath the thin sheet covering her. Kara walked towards the bed sitting down gently. She moved to brush the hair from Lena’s face.

Lena startled, her eyes filled with fear as she saw Kara. “Kara…please. Not today.” Her voice was pleading. She turned slowly and looked past Kara, giving the man in the doorway a hurt expression, “You said I could rest after…” 

She didn’t finish, but Kara assumed they were using their minds to speak. Lena’s eyes filled with tears before she closed them, not really reacting to Kara. Kara could get a good look at Lena’s face as Lena lay motionless. Kara had been right to be worried. Lena’s eyebrow was split and there was a large bruise covering one side of her face. Handprints marred her neck and Kara could see a hint of a bite mark peeking out from where the sheet was covering her shoulder. 

“Lena!” Kara felt her stomach drop. “Who would...why would…” The questions were rhetorical since she knew the answers. 

“Bad visit,” Lena said, pulling the sheet up over herself more. 

“Lena…” Her voice was soft and almost cracking. She pulled out the regeneration unit and started to scan. There was a lot of exterior bruising and contusions, along with some deeper injuries. This shouldn’t have happened. She wanted to hunt the person responsible down and empty her blaster into their body. She was a little taken aback by the vehemence of her response and buried herself in her work.

“I...I brought something.” Lena flinched. “No...not something like that. It’s a medical kit. I put the human values in...I was worried and I didn’t know if they had anything that could help if…” She didn’t finish. 

“If someone beat the shit out of me, you mean?” Lena opened her eyes and searched Kara’s face.

“Yes. That.” She swallowed. 

“Well...you can go on then. I doubt you can make it worse and B’Ardack was adamant that you paid a lot extra to be allowed to do as you pleased.” She sighed and closed her eyes again. 

“That wasn’t...I don’t plan on.” She let out a long breath. “I wanted to make sure you were alright is all.” 

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before she winced, clearly having aggravated the cut on her face. 

“Here.” She brought up a clean cloth and wiped the blood away, carefully running the regeneration unit over the cut. “It might sting a little, but that’s just the skin knitting back together. It’ll be over soon.” She hummed a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her as she worked, carefully finishing so that the only evidence of the wound was a thin line of missing hair on Lena’s eyebrow. “There you go.” 

Lena’s hand reached up and traced the area where the wound had been. “It’s...gone.” Surprise tinged her voice. 

“My people...they’re good healers. I wish I’d learned more, but I can help with this at least.” She shifted to get a better angle. “I’m going to keep going if that’s okay with you.” 

“It’s...fine.” Lena’s expression was one Kara had never seen on her. She looked unsure and sad, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. 

“I’ll be gentle.” Kara started to tackle the bruises on her face. There was a lot to cover so this was going to take a while. She slowly moved across the broken flesh. Lena would whimper occasionally when she’d have to turn the power up for deeper injuries. She wanted to distract her, so she started talking about Krypton. She hated even thinking about her homeland, but either the facts or her voice seemed to calm Lena, so she kept going as she worked. 

She told Lena about their society and how it was focused on science and advancement. She spoke of the rigidity and how she stopped fitting in. As she worked on some of Lena’s more sensitive areas, she told her about how the planet had been dying but her aunt had developed a technology called Myriad in secret and used it to take over the minds of whole cities in secret and that they’d stopped time itself around the planet using a pocket of the phantom zone and giving them enough time to repair everything while everyone else was in a sort of stasis.

It almost felt freeing to tell someone about it, even though that wasn’t the reason she was talking. She wanted to keep Lena’s mind off of things. Someone hurt her and it wasn’t right. The anger Kara felt kept growing beneath the surface. She would find the person responsible and make sure they stayed far away, not that she thought Lena would accept them as a client again but for the first time, Kara wondered how desperate her situation was. If she’d have a choice. Kara had bribed her way in and she wasn’t sure if her good intentions made much of a difference. 

Kara didn’t know how much time had passed, but Lena’s scan was clean. She put the medical device down and cupped Lena’s face. “There you go. You should be feeling a lot better, though it takes energy out of you to heal so fast. You need to eat a big meal and to rest.” 

Lena looked up at her. Kara was worried. Lena hadn’t been herself at all and she hoped that the trauma wouldn’t affect her too strongly moving forward. “I have some protein packs. I’ll make sure and eat one. I...appreciate the assistance. It wasn’t what I expected.”

Kara ran her thumb over Lena’s cheekbone. “How about I go get you a real meal? I’m sure you know, but there’s a decent restaurant on the lower decks. We could eat together, maybe?” She wasn’t sure if that was allowed, but Lena would need more food than a simple protein pack could provide. 

“I...alright.” Lena pulled back from Kara’s hand. “If that’s what you would like...you’re paid up until morning.” 

Kara flinched slightly at the reminder. Even in this, she was allowed to be here because she paid for it. She pushed that aside. She was helping Lena and that was all that mattered. Kara stood up and walked towards the door. “I’ll be back with food shortly.” 

She focused on her next task. If she stayed focused on what she had to do next, then she wouldn’t have to consider the big picture or question why her chest was aching. 

She returned with a small mountain of take away food as well as some extra snacks and protein bars from the station’s commissary. She knew how hungry Lena would be and she wanted to provide for her. She was allowed back in with a minimum of fuss and soon Lena was propped up against the headboard with the pillows, with Kara seated on the other end of the bed and the food spread out between them. 

“Everything is safe for you to eat. I double checked. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but there are a lot of options and even if you don’t like the restaurant food, there are protein bars and snacks,” Kara rambled. It was a habit she’d never quite been able to break. 

“I’m sure it will be fine.” Lena tentatively picked up a fork. “I haven’t had a real hot meal like this in quite a while.” 

“Food prices are pretty outlandish these days, I know, but it’s nice sometimes to have a real meal.” She swallowed, questions she’d always put aside were swirling around in her mind. She watched Lena eating swiftly, taking large bites and closing her eyes with a slight smile. It wasn’t quite what she expected from Lena’s usual bearing. However, she was sure that Lena was a little bit thinner than when she’d first come to the station and she couldn’t stop the question from tumbling out. “Do you...do you get enough food? Usually, that is?” 

Lena paused for a moment, taking the time to swallow her mouthful of food before speaking. “I get by alright. I try not to eat more than I need.” She went back to enjoying her meal, slowing down slightly. 

“Gotcha.” She didn’t really. Kara picked at her food, taking small bites. Lena finished a large portion of food before sitting back and putting a hand on her stomach. She was quiet today and Kara could understand why. Still. She couldn’t leave without asking a few questions. She put it off by tidying up the food and putting the non-perishables aside. 

Kara moved to sit next to Lena at the head of the bed. “Why...why do you do this? I know there are a lot of different reasons and I’m not saying it’s bad, but I just...was wondering.” Kara clasped her hands together to keep from fidgeting and looked up at the ceiling. 

Lena took a breath. “I’m...it’s a long way back to Earth.” 

“Oh.” Kara thought for a moment. It WAS a long trip back to Earth, especially since it was so out of the way of any interstellar trade routes. It would cost quite a bit to get there and Kara could imagine that being a problem. She swallowed. “Can I hold you?” She cursed herself for having asked since the answer was always no, but she wanted Lena to agree—to accept this from her. 

“Yes,” Lena said, surprising her. 

Kara held her arms out and Lena laid down on her chest. She ran her fingers gently through dark hair. Lena felt perfect in her arms and she never wanted to let her go. 

“Tell me more...about Krypton,” Lena asked tentatively. 

“We have dragons…” Kara squeezed Lena a bit closer. They had tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara leaves to try get more credits, but something happens with Lena that draws her back sooner than expected. Major thanks to abcooper and spaceshipsarecool for looking it over for me and making it like 2398123051x better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took 10ever. It's been mostly written for ages. I just didn't like it and I still don't think it's quite right. 
> 
> BTW: A lorax is about 2.5 earth months and loraxo is the plural. This Kara thinking in months didn't quite make sense so I used the kryptonian time measure.

“Kryptonian filth.” 

Kara didn’t feel the boot as it impacted the side of her head. She knew she’d been hit because all of a sudden she was falling to the ground and everything was blurry. The hits had stopped hurting and if Kara were more aware, she’d have taken that as a bad sign. 

“Oh please. If anyone is for twice daily bathing rituals, it’s Kryptonians. You on the other hand...” She lunged at the legs, but he kicked her away. Her hands went over her head instinctively She closed her eyes and thought of Lena. 

She hadn’t seen her for over two loraxo now, but nothing about her faded in that time. If anything, it seemed to draw sharper. The time before she left had been the best and worst of her life. She saw Lena everyday. She brought her dinner and spent hours talking with her. Lena was a genius. The science of her world was incredibly outdated, but that didn’t change the fact that her mind was sharp, even by Kryptonian standards. 

Twice Kara was sure that she saw her real smile. It was different than her pretty smile. Her eyes scrunched up and her gums showed just a little and it made her even more beautiful than Kara could have ever imagined. Kara loved her an amount she hadn’t known was possible. 

That was why she had to leave. The day before she left, she’d had to wait for Lena to finish up with another client. There weren’t any signs that something was wrong, but Kara’s heart was racing. She couldn’t stop someone if they were hurting Lena, and even if they weren’t, it highlighted the fact that Lena wasn’t hers. She couldn’t walk in and pull the other guy off of her. She was completely powerless.

It didn’t help that Lena was one of the smartest beings that Kara had ever met and yet THIS was the job that she was forced to do if she ever wanted to make enough to see her home again. It wasn’t right and the little things that Kara told herself that she was doing to help, were only taking advantage. It wasn’t helping Lena that she was being gentle and having days where they’d just talk. She was still dictating Lena’s time. And while Lena definitely put on some weight as Kara had been feeding her more, she shouldn’t be in a situation where food was a major kindness. A few dinners didn’t change the fact that she’d been taking advantage of Lena for loraxo and using chips she’d gotten on a job to make Lena do whatever Kara wanted. She’d given almost nothing and gained everything. 

Kara didn’t know if Lena liked her, tolerated her, or loathed every second that they would spend together and if she asked, there was no way that she could trust the answer. Kara held her that night, as she’d done every night since Lena had been hurt, and it was clear. There was nothing that Kara had to offer her. Her ship was a short hopper and it wasn’t equipped to make the trip to Earth. She couldn’t get her a job better than as a part of a repair crew on a ship and that would never make Lena enough money to get home. 

She could only see one way to find out for sure if she was a deluded fool or if maybe there was something between Lena and herself after all. If Lena knew that she was going home no matter what, then she was free to turn Kara down. And even if Lena did turn her down, she needed to make sure that Lena was safe and home. She had to. 

That thought broke through enough that she started to pay attention to the world around her again. Her quarry was putting a new energy cell in his blaster. Her entire body ached, but Kara took a deep breath. As the alien above her went to point his blaster at her, she used every bit of strength to roll away, grab the spare destabilizer in her boot, and fire. 

“Another one down.” More credits to add to her account and another step closer to Earth.

She forced herself to get to her feet, signalling for her ship to transport herself and the body of her quarry up. He was worth slightly less dead, but only slightly. Things were different in the Vega zone. There was a sort of darkness that sunk it’s way into everything. Kara could feel it sinking into herself sometimes. She’d killed when she didn’t have to. She sought it out when she found out that there was a bounty out for the Daxamite that had hurt Lena. It wasn’t a sanctioned bounty, but she ended his life and collected her credits all the same. She couldn’t bring herself to regret it. She pulled out the spy beacon and saw that it was still thankfully unlit. She’d given the the half that used to belong to her Aunt to Lena just in case the other woman needed her. It had been the first time she’d been glad that it had been confiscated before they took her aunt away as it worked over incredible distances. 

Kara set a course to the rendezvous point to deliver her latest bounty and then pulled out her medical kit. She’d been getting more use out of it. She was always an agile fighter, but she’d been relying more on her strength lately. She didn’t care if they hit her, she was going to go through them. Nothing else mattered. 

A few hours later and she was on a station, waiting to make the exchange. It went surprisingly smoothly, the agreed upon credits being passed out without complaint. She went back to her ship and connected to the stations data stream connection, her ship not quite powerful enough to pull the information from outside the sector on it’s own. She downloaded any correspondence, hoping for any of the feelers she’d sent out about suitable ships in her price range would have proven successful. She had made a fair number of credits and she might catch a good deal on something small. 

Her blood ran cold when she saw there was a message for her from B’Ardack. She opened the message with her hands shaking at the controls. It was a form letter telling her that she owed a number of credits for damages to one of the brothel girls. It had to be a mistake. It had been over 2 loraxo and even then, she had been so careful on their last night together. There hadn’t been a mark and certainly nothing that warranted that number of credits. 

She scrolled down the itemization and saw a loss of work time and a permanent decrease in aesthetic appeal. None of it made any sense. There was a second document attached and she switched over to look at it. An order of custody and proof of paternity for her and the unborn child showing a 100% genetic match. Kara’s head swam. 

“Oh Rao.” There was a child. 

Lena was having a child and she was the other parent somehow. It wasn’t possible, she was sure. Or perhaps it was? There had been legends in the past about Kryptonian women and those of other races. She’d never believed them to be true, but the document said that the child was a match for her. She was going to have a child. 

Kara felt laughter starting to bubble up and it spilled over, causing her body to shake with the force of it. SHE was going to have a child, after running away to escape pressure to marry and produce an heir. Her laughter turned into wracking sobs. She’d forced this on Lena. Contraception was required if compatibility was possible and she was negligent. Everything necessary was provided, but she’d assumed it wasn’t possible with humans. She’d been trying so hard to get Lena out of there and all she’d done was put her with child. A daughter she doesn’t want custody of according to the documents. Kara was expected to go pick the girl up once she was born and assume full responsibility. Lena would owe her nothing as Kara was in breach of contract. She owed damages. 

Kara’s hands moved on their own, setting a course back to the station and to Lena. She had to be back in less than a lorax to be there for her child. Tears streamed down her face. There was no coming back from this, she was sure. Not for her and not for Lena, who she’d left alone with her pregnancy. She pulled out the spy beacon she left with Lena. It was unlit. Lena didn’t want her there or she would have signalled for her. 

She stared into space as they began to move, watching the lights of passing stars whip by her. She didn’t know how she was going to do this. She had the money that she was saving for a ship and that would far more than enough to cover damages and the custody fees, but where would that leave Lena? She couldn’t strand the mother of her child in any circumstances. What would she tell her daughter when the time came? 

She flicked through her messages trying to distract herself stopping on a new message. It was one of the largest bounties that she’d ever been offered. It would be dangerous and difficult with a high chance of her dying, but if she completed it, she’d have enough for a great ship to get everyone to Earth fast and if she failed...all of her belongings were already set to go to Lena should anything happen to her. Even if Lena didn’t want the child, she’d make sure the baby was safe. 

Kara had almost finished punching in the coordinates when she stopped herself. It was an easy way out. She couldn’t take a bounty where she was likely to be killed. She was going to be there for her daughter and she was going to offer Lena a way off the station, even if the way back to Earth would be slow and circuitous. She had an offer from a while back that she’d put aside for an old long haul ship. If she went with that, then she could trade her current ship and a few extra credits in for it and still have enough to pay damages and custody fees. It might be years before they got to Earth, but that was the best she could offer.

As she pulled up, she saw that the shipyard was a disorganized hodgepodge of ships. Nothing was very recent and there were many ships that she couldn’t place at all. She hailed the owner and a small fuzzy man that looked like a little like a rodent she knew from home appeared on her viewer.

“Welcome to Zal’s ship emporium. We have everything the discerning traveler could need for their journey!” He clapped. 

“I received a message about a long haul ship. Something...affordable.” She shuffled her feet. 

“Ah yes. That ship was quite a rare find. An old Daxamite vessel, completely intact and like new...for a ship that old. I mean. I think. It’s not like I’ve ever had another one to compare it to, but preliminary tests show everything working, even if it’s a touch slower than the more modern Daxamite cruiser that you grew up with.” His face was covered in a smile that looked like it was plastered on as opposed to any genuine emotion. His eyes darted back and forth a few times.

Kara didn’t correct that she wasn’t a Daxamite. Kryptonian ships were far faster than Daxamite cruisers, known more for their...comfort. “I could take a look.”

“Why look! I wouldn’t steer you wrong. I’ll even give you a discount. Transport on over to the office and you can be flying away in minutes.” Zal’s smile grew even wider, straining his face unpleasantly, but there was an unease that was only growing clearer. 

“I’d like to see the ship I’m buying. That’s non-negotiable.” Kara stated, in a more authoritative voice. She wouldn’t be taken in. This was too important. 

“Of...course.” He thought for a moment before pausing. “Why don’t you go on and have a look. I trust that you won’t steal the ship. Signal if you want to buy!” 

His body sagged in relief when she nodded and put the coordinates into her transporter. When she came aboard the ship, it was clear that Zal had been lying in his description. Not that it wasn’t in good condition, but it wasn’t old...it was ancient. They symbols weren’t Daxamite, they were ancient Kryptonian...before the Daxamite settlers left Krypton. But those weren’t the original controls, they were affixed over something older still that she couldn’t recognize. This ship was much more advanced than her people were then. 

She turned on the consoles and looked at the system logs. She could read the ancient Kryptonian well enough. Strangely, everything appeared to be in order. The ship harvested it’s fuel as it flew through space, riding on currents to some extent. There were food banks onboard. It would make provisioning far easier than she’d hoped. 

Kara did a search to see what happened to the former crew. It was an intriguing read; Kryptonians were much less enlightened in that time and more prone to fighting. The logs came to an abrupt end with no note of what happened to those onboard. The ship drifted for many years before being found...intact. 

Kara weighed her options. This would get her to earth and she could afford it. It had two rooms for official sleeping quarters and a cargo area for storage or if they’d be able to pick up some hauling work enroute. It was slower than she’d hoped, but they’d have food and fuel. The only thing holding her back was the fact that she didn’t know how this ship worked. Nothing was standard and she’d have to figure it out on the way. 

She calculated her credits in her mind. There didn’t seem to be another way if she wanted to get Lena home. And even if Lena didn’t want to go...maybe Kara could bring her child there. She was half human after all and Earth might be a place where she could find a home. 

Kara contacted Zal and had him transport her over. He looked happy to be rid of the ship and she was able to haggle to get an even better deal than she thought she would. She transferred her belongings from her old ship to the new one and set a course for Lena. 

Every day seemed longer than the last as she made her way back to the station. It was harder than she thought it would be to let her old ship go. It hit her as she was trying to learn the new systems after she left the shipyard. That ship had been her home and her freedom in ways she hadn’t realized until she was locked into something slower and larger. It needed more work than it seemed at the shipyard, but she wasn’t the youngest ever admission to the science guild for nothing.

As she worked, she ran over and over in her mind what she might say to Lena when next they met, but there was nothing adequate. The way back was taking longer than she thought it would and she hoped dearly that she would be able to be there for the birth of her daughter. She had arranged for extra food to be delivered to Lena when she found out about the child, but B’Ardack still had poor Interlac and her requests for more information fell on deaf ears. She didn’t trust that a message would be delivered intact 

As soon as she docked her ship, she rushed inside the station. She hadn’t received news that Lena had gone into labor, but she wasn’t sure. B’Ardack grunted as she came in, token sliding across the desk in a strange sort of familiarity where it’s been too long, but her hands still remembered the motions without thought. 

She went back to Lena’s room, with her heart beating in her throat. She’d gone over what she wanted to say a thousand times, but the words were swirling around aimlessly in her mind. She hit the panel to be allowed inside. As she saw Lena lying in bed, it was clear that time had done nothing to lessen her feelings.

“Lena?” She walked over to the bed where Lena was lying swollen.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was possible. I...” There were no words. “I’m sorry.” Kara felt relief that Lena was alive, though Lena didn’t look well. Her pale skin had turned sallow and her cheeks were sunken in. 

Lena finally looked over at Kara with dull eyes, “You’ll take the child? You’ll...you’ll be good to her?” She sounded uncertain. 

“Of course. She’ll be loved. I...family is very important to my people. I’ll be there.” She reached out, to take Lena’s hand but thought better of it and let her hand drop. 

“No matter what? You swear it.” Lena’s reached out and grabbed Kara’s arm, her eyes coming alive for a moment and staring into Kara’s. 

“I swear to Rao that I will love and protect her always. No matter what.” She made the gesture indicating she was taking a Kryptonian oath as she said it. Lena probably wouldn’t catch the gesture, but Kara was serious. She wasn’t going to let her daughter down. Or Lena. 

Lena let go and relaxed against the pillows. “Good.” Her eyes glazed over again. 

Silence fell for long minutes before Kara got up the nerve to speak again. “How...are you? Are you well?”

“Well enough. The child is healthy. I am seeing a doctor sometimes. She doesn’t really know humans, but she’s competent enough.” Lena stared at the ceiling. 

“Good! I was so worried about you.” She smiled softly at Lena. 

“About your offspring, you mean.” Lena interjected, her voice taking an edge Kara wasn’t used to from her. 

“No! About you.” There was too much and too little to say. “I was worried about you every minute that we were apart.” 

“Kara…” Lena started to speak warningly, but Kara cut her off. She had to take her chance. 

It wasn’t what she’d planned, but Kara spoke rapidly, hoping that Lena understood. “I got a ship. A ship that can travel over long distances. I won’t blame you if you don’t want to, but if you did want to...I...Earth! It’s slow and old—the ship I mean—but I wanted to take you home, if you wanted to go with me and the baby. Well. I wanted to get a ship to take just you, but then the baby happened and I think she’d be happiest on Earth so we’re going there...and I very much want you to come. With us. To Earth.” 

Lena’s body went soft for a moment and she relaxed more against the pillows. Her lips turned up slightly, giving Kara a breath of hope that she’d gotten it right and this was what Lena wanted. “Kara, I can’t come with you.” Lena looked down at her stomach. “She can, but I’m not going to be with you.” She didn’t look back at Kara. “I want you to take her and leave me here.” 

“That’s...that’s fine.” Kara felt her world crumbled around her, the sound of her blood in her ears. She knew it was an unlikely long shot, but she had hoped so much that Lena would come with her. “I just...I wanted to give you the option and to make sure you were alright. And you are, so I’ll go and let you rest.”

Contrary to her words, she didn’t leave. She waited for a long moment before trying to speak again, “I won’t go against what you want, not again, but I promise that if you did want to come with me, I would try very hard to make you happy. I...you wouldn’t have to be with me or do anything like that. I want you to be safe.” Her jaw quivered as she tried to keep it steady. 

Lena turned away from Kara and didn’t say anything. 

Kara’s breaths came rapidly. “Just...call with your beacon if you change your mind or if you need me for anything and I’ll be there. Promise. I’m...I’m so sorry.” 

She all but ran out of the room. 

Kara’s eyes filled with tears as she walked on autopilot back to her ship, forgetting that her new one was larger and had to be docked in a different section. She turned down three wrong corridors before she found her way back to her ship.

She went straight to her quarters and pulled a blanket up around her, letting the tears fall. She knew Lena accepting her offer had been somewhat of a long shot, that was why she hadn’t asked her before setting it up. Lena might have been lying about her reasoning all along. That was common in hired women, so she didn’t know why she was so upset now. Adding prizes didn’t make up for her deficiencies or the way she treated Lena. As much as she tried to apply Kryptonian logic and calm herself, it felt like her world was ending. She would take her daughter and they’d leave Lena forever.

Hours passed and she fell into a light sleep. It took her a long while to get out of her bed the next day. There were things that needed to be done, but doing them felt like too much effort. A strange thought popped into her mind that she should call her mother and tell her about her daughter. She’d been running from her family for years out of fear that they’d drag her back. 

She pushed the thought aside and started to get to work on her daughter’s quarters. She made a crib out of the small bunk by attaching slatted sides for safety. She painted the metal walls so the child would see color, going as far as to paint a few animals that they had back on Krypton. It didn’t keep her mind off of the desire to call her mother. 

It was early evening when she decided to give in. She’d tell her family that she was having a daughter. She set up a few relays and bits of scrambling so it couldn’t be traced back to the specific space station she where she was located. 

It was agonizing waiting for the signal to go through, but she refused to fidget. She’d worn her tougher gear, wanting to give the appearance of strength. 

“Kara?” Alura answered, eyes wide in disbelief. “You’re alive.” Her voice shook. “We found the pod that you left in abandoned after you took it and ran and then...nothing. There was no trace of you. We thought you might be...” She wiped away tears, not finishing her thought. 

Kara hadn’t seen her mother cry since the day she almost sent her away to Earth. “I’m...fine.” Kara didn’t know what she was expecting, but it wasn’t this. “I was just calling to let you know that I’m going to have a daughter soon.” 

“You are?” Alura’s eyes cut down to her midsection in confusion for a moment. 

Kara answered the unasked question, “I’m not the one carrying her. Her other mother is.” She felt a sense of glee saying that she was having a baby with another woman. 

“Oh.” 

“Yes. She’s human. She’s very beautiful.” Kara took a breath and tried to keep her face impassive. “Though we aren’t together now. I’ll be taking the child once it’s born.” 

“Kara.” There was compassion in Alura’s eyes and Kara felt deeply happy that her mother cared, but a sense of bitterness all the same that she didn’t warrant the same while she was still on Krypton. Alura continued, “Come home. We’ll help you with the baby. We miss you so much.” Kara felt her walls start to crumble. Earth seemed too foreign and far away compared to an easy life on Krypton where she wouldn’t have to shoulder taking care of her daughter alone. 

She swallowed, the yes waiting on her lips. 

Alura continued, “We know you didn’t mean it. You’ve gotten it out of your system now and you can come home and be with your people. A few wild years can be overlooked.” 

It was as though a bucket of ice water was dumped over her head. She sniffed in as dignified a way as she could and stood up straighter. “I prefer women. I’m going to be a parent, but I’m not going to change who I am and I don’t want my daughter to have to be anyone other than herself.” 

“Kara, please.” Alura pleaded. “Think about what you’re doing.”

“I have.” She was losing control of her emotions and knew that she needed for the call to be over. “This was a courtesy call to let you know that the house of El has another member. I wish you well. Give my best to father.”

“KARA!” Alura’s voice rang out as Kara ended the call. 

Kara threw herself into working on the ship. She barely slept; there were too many thoughts racing through her head when she’d lay down in the dark. She spent her nights working instead. She was scrubbing an exhaust conduit when she saw that her spy beacon was lit up. She didn’t stop to grab anything as she ran down the halls of the station. Her feet clanked against the metal deck plating and she was breathing heavily by the time she ran into the brothel. She tossed her last token in B’Ardack’s direction. He was trying to say something, but she had to get to Lena. 

She ran through the detectors, not stopping as the toolkit on her belt set them off. Lena’s door opened for her when she pressed her hand against the panel, whether it was unlocked or set up for her, she wasn’t sure. 

There was an elderly Jaquaan woman attending her, but Kara paid her no heed as she rushed forward and took Lena’s hand. 

Lena closed her eyes and squeezed Kara’s hand hard, a guttural scream escaping her. She had waited a long while to call Kara in. 

“Not long now.” The small blue tinged Jaquaan said from the foot of the bed in Interlac. “You’ll need to push with your next contraction...if you can understand much of what I’m saying.” 

Kara turned her attention to the woman. She was wearing a doctor’s coat and Kara felt the ball in her stomach loosen slightly that Lena was being attended to by someone who looked competent. Jaquaan were known to have good doctors. “Is she...are they...is everyone doing alright?” Kara asked in Interlac. 

“You’re the one who put her in this condition, I assume?” Kara nodded. The Jaquaan looked a bit confused at this, but shrugged. “She’s doing alright, I assume. I don’t have a good baseline for her people but things appear to be progressing on schedule. The child is coming soon. I think she was trying to hold back pushing until you arrived, not that I can blame her considering.”

Kara brushed the hair from Lena’s face with her free hand. “You’re so brave.” She said in English.

Lena’s screwed her eyes shut and tears leaked from the corners. “Please stop. You left. I...it wasn’t as bad when you were there.” 

“I’m so sorry. I wanted to...” Kara’s next words of apology were interrupted by another contraction. It was a strange thing to watch and not be able to do anything. Lena didn’t let go of her hand, and Kara didn’t try and comfort her again, as much as she wanted to. 

“It’s always about what you want. I say no to your offer and you don’t come check on me again. You never tried...I can’t….AHHHH.”The contractions came one after another. She helped relay messages to push and that she was nearly there. 

Soon there was screaming and the Jaquaan doctor was holding an infant out to her, wrapped in a towel and cutting the cord connecting her to her mother. She took the child into her arms. She was covered in goo, but she was the most beautiful thing that Kara had ever seen. “Hi…” She whispered down to the little girl before turning to show Lena. “She’s perfect. You did it, Lena. Look.” 

Lena wasn’t looking. Her eyes were shut and her head was turned to face the wall. “Take her and go.” 

“Don’t you want to see her?” Kara asked, confused. 

“No. I...I can’t. Just...get her out of here. She shouldn’t be here. Please, Kara. If...if you cared for me at all in any of this, just leave and don’t come back. Take her away.” Her voice was raw from screaming and Kara backed away. This wasn’t what she expected and she hadn’t gotten the chance to apologize for everything. She walked out of the room in a daze, her daughter held tightly to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! I had to split the chapter for length and flow. The rest will be up soon. A lot is written and Coop is holding me to writing sprints! I know there are a lot of questions and possible logistical concerns, but it will all make sense. I promise. Just keep reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finally realizes what's happening with Lena and tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to abcooper for looking this over! It took forever even though it's been 95% written since I posted the last chapter. It was hard to get right. Sorry for the delay. It's been...a really rough time. I haven't given this up though.

**** Kara found herself in front of the front desk without remembering how she got there. Her daughter was crying. She carefully wiped her off with the towel so she wouldn’t be cold and brought her up to her chest to hold her closer. “Shush now, Little One.” The endearment her aunt used to use for her, spilling from her lips without thought. “You’re alright. Everything will be alright.” 

 

She stared down at the little girl. Kara thought she looked like Lena, except her eyes had brown mixed in with Lena’s green. She knew there were things that she still had to do before she could take her little girl back to the ship, but her head was spinning. This wasn’t the life she wanted for her daughter. She didn’t even have a picture of Lena to show her. 

 

Kara took a deep breath. She had to do this for the girl in her arms. She turned to the desk and hit the bell, calling for B’Ardack who wasn’t at the desk. She saw the Jaquaan doctor coming out of the back hallway and she walked over to her instead of waiting . “Please. Is...is Lena alright?” 

 

“She survived.” The doctor was filling out some forms on an information pad of some kind. “She needs to rest, though I doubt she’ll get it here.”

 

Kara frowned. “I…” She didn’t know what to say and nothing came out. She was saved when B’Ardack came back. 

 

He and the Jaquaan doctor were looking intently at each other and Kara assumed they were communicating telepathically. She stayed quiet and looked down at her little girl, stroking her face. B’Ardack hit a few keystrokes and handed a pad over. “Pay.”

 

Kara read the documents. The first was a birth record for Lori Luthor. “Lori.” Kara tried out the name as she gave her imprints for the record listing herself as the second parent. Lena had cared enough to name the child. 

 

She owed a lot of credits but she knew that she would from the initial invoice. This one had more items listed out. There were terms that she didn’t quite understand. She spoke to herself, trying to be careful holding Lori in one arm so she could read. “What is a restriction of debt bond?”

 

“It means you interfered with a debt bond.” The Jaquaan doctor spoke, startling Kara. “The debtor’s labor has been devalued by you. Though in this case you’re being taken advantage of. You could buy out her debt load yourself for less than is being asked for damages.” 

 

“She’s…” Everything came together in a startling clarity. She recalled a vague lesson that some less savory governments sent prisoners into forced work to pay debts. The worst sold these off as labor contracts. Freedom was hard to earn and most people died in mines never having achieved it. “Oh. I didn’t...” 

 

Kara felt sick. Everything that she’d done crashed down on her and she clutched her daughter closer. “I...of course I’ll pay off her debt.” She looked at the pad. The words were written in Interlac, but they seemed completely foreign and swirling. “Can you help me to set that up?” Her hand shook as she passed the pad over to the doctor. B’Ardack was glaring and made to grab at the pad, but the doctor was quicker and shot a scowl at the proprietor. 

 

“I’m not a lawyer, but it’s simple. Only trick is that you have to do it in the kid’s name as you don’t have the right as family on your own.” She pressed a few buttons, setting it up for Kara. “Transfer the money on behalf of Lori Luthor and she’ll be free to go.” 

 

“Thank you.” Kara juggled the baby as she filled in her financial information and hit the send button. A few moments later the screen popped up with confirmation that the debt had been paid and Lena was free to go. Kara started back towards Lena’s room again to tell her. 

 

Two of the bouncers tried to stop her this time, but the past few loraxo had taught her how to go through people. She was careful not to jostle her little girl too much as she did so. They couldn’t stop her now that she knew what this place was. 

 

The door didn’t open for her this time, but it only took a moment to rip the panel off and rewire it to open. She crossed the room to find Lena still laying in bed, not moving as the door was opened. Kara recognized the smell of blood and noticed a mass of flesh was in a bag at the end of the bed. Kara took a deep breath. 

 

“Lena.” Her voice wavered as she spoke. 

 

Lena flinched. “You’re supposed to be gone.”

 

Kara kneeled down at Lena’s bedside. “I know. And I’ll go, I promise, but I...please come with me. You don’t have to, but your debt has been paid and I...I can’t make things up to you, but please let me get you out of here. I wanted to take you home to Earth. I still do. You don’t have to stay that long, just to the next system if you’d rather. You don’t have to do anything, but please let me do this.” 

 

Lena rolled over with a wince to look at her, “I’m free to go.” Her eyes dipped to see their daughter in Kara’s arms and tears began to flow down her cheeks. 

 

“You’re free to go. They really don’t like it so we might need to hurry, but you’re free now.” She reached out to wipe the tears, but pulled her hand back.

 

Lena started at Lori for a few moments before she sat up in small slow motions that made her wince and put a robe on. “I want to leave.” 

 

“Good.” Kara body relaxed and she stood up. “Here. I’ll help you.” She offered her free hand to Lena, who took it. She leaned on Kara as they slowly made their way out of the door.   

 

Lena’s eyes were darting back and forth as they walked towards the exit. A trickle of blood was running steadily down her leg. Kara scanned for possible threats as they walked, but the bouncers were still unconscious on the ground and no one looked like they wanted to fight with her. The Jaquaan doctor smiled and waved at her as she helped Lena out. 

 

Bardack called out something in his own rough language, but Kara paid it no mind. 

 

The walk back to her ship was slow and silent. Lena collapsed into a chair in the cockpit once they were aboard, shaking . “Let me hold my daughter.” 

 

“Of course.” She helped Lori get settled into Lena’s arms. Lena held the girl close. They were beautiful together and Kara was glad Lena seemed more interested in the little girl now that she was free. Kara had no idea what was going to happen next, but Lena was out of that place and she never had to go back to that again. She set a course for Earth and engaged. They would have to divert for supplies again soon, but she wanted to be gone as fast as they could be. 

 

Kara looked back at Lena holding Lori who was starting to fuss. “I have supplies for her—formula, clothes, diapers and a crib. I mean. I have toys and books too, but she’s still kind of small for that, I think. She could use a bath after she eats maybe.”  

 

Lena nodded. “A bottle. I...I’d feed her myself but I’m not sure if I can.” She looked down at herself as though she was noticing her body was different for the first time. 

 

“I’ll get something to eat for you both.” Kara patted Lori’s head carefully as she passed by. 

 

When she returned with food, Lena’s head was bobbing as she fought sleep. “Here. I can take her so you can sleep for a while.” 

 

Lena startled and shook her head, pulling the baby closer. “No. I’m...fine.” 

 

Kara felt a stab. She had planned on raising Lori herself as much as she wished it were the three of them. She hadn’t stopped to consider that Lena might want to raise their daughter alone now that she could. Kara didn’t argue and handed Lori’s bottle over to Lena with her eyes downcast. 

 

The soft sucking sound of Lori beginning to eat for the first time echoed in the silence. Kara put Lena’s nutrition shake in the cup holder next to her, glancing for a moment at the mother feeding her child. Lena was looking down at Lori intently and watching her eat. It was beautiful. She looked away again and busied herself at one of the consoles, remapping their route to Earth to account for the additional supplies necessary. She hoped very much that they would be needed and that Lena wouldn’t leave at the first port. 

 

Soon the sounds of eating stopped and Lori began to fuss again. Lena was rocking her and making shushing motions. Kara stood up and walked over, “Here.” Kara reached out. “Please.” Lena had fear in her eyes and didn’t make to hand the baby over. “Just for a moment and she’ll stay in sight.”

 

Lena passed Lori over slowly. Kara pulled the baby up onto her shoulder and patted her back until she burped. A small amount of milk coming up up as well and pooling on Kara’s shoulder. “Well that’s the general idea anyways.” She wet her lips. “I can hold her right here while you eat or you can eat and hold her at the same time.” 

 

Lena reached out to take her back, settling Lori against her and reaching for her shake. She took small drinks. Kara went back to the console, biting the inside of her cheek as she continued to work. It surprised her when she heard Lena start to speak.  “I didn’t have to keep her. To let her grow and give birth to her. I could have...I didn’t have to have her. I...I don’t know if you realize that.” 

 

Kara turned around to Look at Lena, whose gaze was still fixed on Lori. “I wasn’t sure. I...I didn’t understand exactly what your situation was until I was signing the documents after you had Lori.” 

 

Lena wet her lips, “I wondered. I...well I couldn’t talk freely. B’Ardack—he always knew if I was trying to hint—but your cousin is known as a force for good on my planet. I sometimes hoped you didn’t really know.” 

 

Kara felt her stomach drop, “I knew enough. Well, eventually I did, but it only took a while because I didn’t want to look.” She looked down. “I was selfish and I pretended things were simpler than they were.” 

 

“Yes...you did. Then you didn’t. I–” She paused for a long moment with her eyes closed before opening them again. “Sometimes that last month, I felt almost normal. Then you were gone.” Bitterness seeped into Lena’s words. 

 

“I thought you needed money to get home.” Kara interjected. “I couldn’t keep you safe. You had another client and I realized that I couldn’t be with you all the time. I didn’t have enough money to help you get home. I was trying to get a better ship so I could take you.” 

 

“Oh.” Lena sounded surprised. “You could have said something. It...it wouldn’t have made a difference as you couldn’t pay to free me on your own, but the thought would have been nicer than you getting tired of things.” She let out a long breath.“I...Lori was the part of me that could go and be free. I...” She looked down at her sleeping daughter. “I’d given up, but she gave me a reason to hold on. I didn’t love her at first, but little by little I started to. It grew to something that I can’t say I expected. I wasn’t trying to send her away with you because I didn’t care for her. You were her best chance.”  

 

“I should have told you what I had planned...I’m sorry.” She looked down at Lori. “Thank you for carrying her. It was hell and I should have been there for you...for both of you.” She swallowed, “I love her too. I know I just met her, but I’d do anything for her.” She looked up at Lena. “For either of you.” Conviction shining in her eyes. 

 

Lena didn’t look convinced, but she inclined her head a small amount. “You’re taking us back to Earth?”

 

“Yes. It will take longer than I wanted it to, but we’ll get there.” She fought back an urge to take Lena’s hand. 

 

Lena nodded, “I need a shower and clothes. So does she.” She gestured down at Lori. 

 

“I have things for Lori and you’re welcome to anything of mine.” Kara walked slowly over to Lena. “I can help. If you’d like.” She was worried Lena wouldn’t have the strength to stand for long. 

 

Lena looked back and forth between Lori and Kara before carefully handing her the infant. “You can get her cleaned up while I shower.”

 

“Of course.” She relished getting to hold her daughter again and kissed her head. She offered Lena a hand to help her up and Lena took it, leaning on her as she adjusted to standing. Kara noticed the pool of blood Lena left behind and frowned. Kara let go and wrapped her arm around Lena for support. “I can show you where the facilities are.” 

 

Lena nodded. Kara felt the heat radiating off of Lena as they walked together. Half-holding her made Kara want to feel Lena more. She wanted to hold her close and whisper reassurances. She settled for seeing her to the washroom and promising to return with fresh clothes. 

 

She swiftly returned with a cleaner Lori dressed in a baby suit with the house of El’s symbol embroidered on it. It was traditional and as much as she tried to escape it, there were parts of Krypton that she wanted to pass on to her daughter. She sat the clean clothes for Lena outside the shower area. They were the softest things she had. She included one of Lori’s diapers in case Lena was still bleeding a bit after. She figured that Lena could set it in her underthings to soak up the blood. She wished she could take Lena to a doctor who specialized in humans. 

 

She waited in the hall in case Lena needed to call for her. It wasn’t long before Lena slowly made her way out, hair wet but no longer oily. “Better?” Kara asked as she offered herself again for support. Lena leaned against her. 

 

“A bit.” Her voice was soft and Kara could see the dark circles under her eyes. “Where will I sleep?” 

 

“Oh. Right! Your sleeping space! I have a room for you on the other side of the nursery. My cabin is across the hall.” She gestured to doors along the corridor as she moved towards them. “I um...I set up a bassinet in my room for the first few weeks for her since I you didn’t actually agree to...so you can have that one if you’d rather and I can take the other tonight.” It was attached to the wall for safety, so she couldn’t move it without tools. 

 

“That...I’d like to keep her close.” Lena bit her lip. “Thank you.” The words came out stilted. 

 

“It’s...anything you need, okay? I…” She opened the door to what had been her cabin. She handed Lena a communicator from her pocket. “Just call me with this or I’ll sleep with my door open to if you want to yell. Anything.” 

 

Lena nodded and walked to the bed, sitting carefully. 

 

Kara set the baby down in the bassinet, leaning down to kiss her forehead before pulling away. She moved towards the door. “I’ll see you in the morning. There are extra supplies for her bottles on the shelf. I hope you sleep well.” She lingered, but she felt her presence was unwanted so she closed the door most of the way. Resting against it, she could hear the start of Lena crying. Lena didn’t call out for her. She went across the hall to the spare room to try and sleep. 

 

Kara woke up to hearing her name being called and she shot out of bed and across to Lena’s room. It was the middle of the night, but she was wide awake. “You called?” 

 

“I can’t sleep. I keep thinking someone’s going to come in. I…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. This was stupid. You should go back to sleep.” 

 

“I’m here. I can sit on the floor watching the door if you want. It’s no problem.” She went to sit down, having removed a small desk and chair to fit the bassinet. 

 

“That...thank you.” Her eyes were focused down at her hands. 

 

“Oh.” Kara sat down and leaned against the bed. “I’ll be here and I won’t let anything happen. Just sleep.”  She moved closer. 

 

“Alright.” Lena shifted in the bed. Minutes passed before Kara felt the edge of Lena’s hand brush against her shoulder. Kara bit her lip, debating before she moved a hand over her shoulder to rest on top of Lena’s. Lena didn’t pull away. Kara’s heart swelled that Lena was allowing this—that she felt even a little safer with her than without her. She felt Lena’s breathing even out as she watched the door, making sure to keep her word. 

 


End file.
